Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 will be over in less than 10 hours! This has been kind of a "stand -still" year. So many things were just "there". Nothing special, nothing much to discuss, the kind of year that just was! I didn't lose weight this year, in fact I've gained. I haven't gotten organized like I wanted. I didn't complete the Christmas stocking that I started for That Other Kid 8 years ago. I did a lot of stressing out over my son being in boot camp. I just kind of let the year slip me by. I don't want that to happen again!

There were a couple of significant things that happened this year that will forever change my life (and that of my family and friends). First of all my best friend, Glenna went through breast cancer treatments, surgeries and recoveries. I watched her deal with this and helped as much as I could. She has tackled it head on and has had a recovery that is amazing!

Through her cancer diagnosis I decided that it was time to follow through with something I have wanted to do for years! The Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure Walk- 60 miles in 3 days! It truly was an experience I will never forget! I'm already signed up for 2012's walk and I'm gearing up to start training and fundraising again. I loved it! Except for the blisters while training and the cramped calf muscle during day 2 of the walk! Lol

The third thing that happened this year that is worth taking note of is that my oldest son went from being "that kid" to My Marine! He left in September for Marine bootcamp and graduated December 16th! I am now the proud mom of a United States Marine Private! I couldn't be more proud to say that my son is a Marine! He gets to be home on leave till January 16th and so I'm enjoying having him home for this month since I don't know when he will be home again.

These are all very significant things that have made me the person I am at the end of 2011 BUT they don't come close to meeting the goals I had for the year. So I have been reflecting on a lot of things I want for 2012 and have decided to break them down week by week and month by month into smaller goals that will help me reach my bigger goals.

Honestly, I'm still working them out but here are a few of my goals, in no particular order.

Christy threw out a great challenge of following 52 small healthy living goals to make us healthier by the end of 2012 so I'm going to follow along with this.

Another thing I'm implementing first thing tomorrow is a Low Glycemic Index Diet Plan. When I follow it it works amazingly well! There's just that big IF so I'm making it a priority for January and eating only from the plan! Will power will be necessary but I know I can do it!

Another thing I'm going to implement is moving my body a MINUMUM of 30 minutes every day! I have video games, DVD's, apps on my phone, Netflix instant! So many options, all I have to do is DO IT! I'm starting with Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. It will give me a great benchmark for starting over!

A couple of other things I'm wanting to do is start consistently reading my Bible, getting organized and rid of clutter! I love to read but lately I just haven't taken the time to do much. This will be another area I'm going to work on.

And probably my most challenging goal that I have decided I want to work toward is "less frivolous computer time"! This means not checking emails, Facebook, twitter, words with friends, etc a million times a day! I'm going to give myself time limits and designated time during the day and that's it! I've wasted far too much time goofing off on the computer (or phone) so that has to stop!

Consistently is gonna be a big key to my success this year! Wish me luck!

Btw, if you want to get another quick tax deduction I have started my fundraising for my 2012 3 Day for the Cure Walk! Once again I need to raise $2300 and I would love to have your support! You can donate here

Thanks bunches for all your support and love and virtual butt kickings you have given me this year! I hope you have a wonderful 2012! Xoxoxo

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

It's nearly the end of 2011; in case you have been living in a hole somewhere and are unaware of the date, it is December 28th! That means there are only 3 days left to take advantage of 2011 and all it has to offer!

As for me I am looking forward to 2012 already! This year has been a very emotional year for me....lots of ups and downs. I'm ready to move on to 2012 so I can push through the things I have struggled with and hopefully move forward to a better year.

There have been great things that happened this year; namely the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure Walk and My Marine going through Marine Corp bootcamp and the graduation ceremony. He's home now on leave and it is so wonderful to have him home!

But, there have been downers too. I haven't lost weight this year. In fact (if I'm honest here) I've gained weight this year and this depresses me greatly. This must change!

Whatever it takes I must make 2012 the year I lose enough weight to hit my goal!

I have committed to walking the Komen 3 Day for the Cure again for 2012, but I also promised my husband I would lose weight before that time. It's for my health and necessary to make sure I am around for many years to come.

So I'm trying to come up with some workable plans. Something that will enable me to train for the walk AND lose weight! Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated!

I've started my fundraising efforts for the 2012 Walk for the Cure. If you donate this week you can still get a tax donation for your 2011 taxes!Go here to donate!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Today was That Other Kid's 8th birthday! I can hardly believe it has been 8 years since he came into this world! He has been a rambunctious, active boy since the very beginning and today was no different.

He woke up about 6am saying "I had a nightmare, I need to sleep with you!" so he climbed into bed, wiggled , squirmed and finally went back to sleep till about 8:15. At that time he determined it was time to get up and OPEN PRESENTS! We made him wait till about 10:30 which apparently was cruel! Lol

But it was all worth the wait apparently because he was VERY excited to get several "cool" gifts that he had wanted for a long time.

Traditionally we go to the birthday person's restaurant of choice, so he chose to go to Red Robin! He loves the fries and the arcade games there!

He aged very quickly!

His favorite game; a car racing game!

We came home and played a VERY short game of Star Wars monopoly! He won, which made the birthday even more special!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Today was graduation day! A wonderful day to be sure. It's late and I'm exhausted so it's just pictures tonight. My son is back home and I'm still in San Diego, but we are leaving very early so I need to get to bed.

I will write more after I get a chance to relax tomorrow night with all 4 of us under the same roof again!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Today was Family Day- the day before graduation and the day we got to spend 4 glorious hours with My Marine! It was a wonderful day!I loved seeing how changed he was, and just watching h interact with his peers and That Other Kid was wonderful.

Today was a very emotional day for me. Pride, excitement, joy, shock are just a few of the emotions that I experienced. Unless you have watched your child grow from an infant into a United States Marine you can probably not relate. There is nothing like this feeling. No words can adequately describe it, so I won't try! People always say pictures tell a story better so I'm sharing some of the pictures from today. It was a very bright, sunny day so there is a lot of glare on these but that's ok. They all are pictures of My Marine and I'm happy to say that I am the mother of a United States Marine!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

We went to the zoo today and had a great time! Dallas and Ft. Worth both have great zoos but this zoo was amazing! We took a guided tour bus tour of the zoo shortly after we arrived. It was a double decker bus and of course we had to ride on the upper deck! The zoo was HUGE! I didn't wear a pedometer but based on how tired my legs and feet are I would guess we walked somewhere around 5 miles!

We saw Koala bears, Panda bears, Polar bears, Mongo Camel- all new to us! The Elephants have a fabulous facility that is unusual, at least to us!

We are having a great time in San Diego and the next 2 days are going to be even better! We get to see My Marine tomorrow and hang out with him on base for 5 hours! Then Friday is graduation! It is so hard to believe it is almost here!

Adah is a wonderful host...mellow, down to earth; exactly what we needed this week! And her hubby is very patient with all of That Other Kids talking!

For some reason pictures are not posting so check out Facebook and hopefully I can post them there!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

We made it to San Diego around noon today. Adah got off work early today so she could hang out with us so she met us at That Other Kids favorite restaurant, Chick-fil-a!

We headed to San Diego's Children's Museum to burn some little boy energy. It was fun for me too!

Looks like Adah had fun too, huh?

For dinner tonight we went down to a cool diner that has arcade games. The kiddo was pretty tired and didn't feel good till he realized he could get to play video games! Adah and I didn't want to be left out so we played Dance Revolution while her wonderful hubby played air hockey with That Other Kid!

The trip has been smooth sailing so far and tomorrow we are going to the zoo so it's gonna be a great day!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

It's Tuesday and that means it's True Confession time over at the Sisterhood. I have really been in a funk over the past month. Although I am extremely excited to get to go to San Diego, I can't seem to focus on much beyond that. I can't seem to push myself up off the couch or away from the computer in the evening. I think this 25 Days O' Exercise calendar says much about my confessions for this week!

Yep that's right only 2 days of exercise over the past 5, and honestly they are about the only days I have exercised since the Komen 3 Day Walk a month ago. I had a nice long heart to heart with myself last night while I was wallowing in self-pity and I decided that the only way to pull myself up by the boot-straps was to start moving my body! So although it was LATE and I knew I was waking up early today I decided to do some kind of exercise - I did the Wii Fit Step Aerobics and added in some 3# dumbbells to work on some arm stuff. It felt great to move, even if it wasn't too strenuous!

So tonight I'm planning to do the #Tworkout and then some other kind of Wii Game. I haven't quiet decided what but I know I want to do AT LEAST 30 minutes of exercise tonight so I can fill in Day 6 of my tree!

I'm going to San Diego next Tuesday, YAY!! and I plan to have a great time while I'm there, but getting there scares the bejezzus out of me. I'm not a great flyer and I will be flying on an airline I'm not familiar with in airports I've never been with That Other Kid! Coming home next Friday adds to my stress a bit since I will be flying home with My Marine and That Other Kid and I'm not 100% sure we will all be on the same flight. The problem? I'm concerned That Other Kid is going to throw a full out tantrum (yes, he still throws tantrums even though he is almost 8!) in the airport if we don't get to fly with his brother! Then I get to deal with a tantrum throwing almost 8 year old in an airport where I can't discipline him the way I normally would.

Today, tomorrow and Thursday I am praying for My Marine as he goes through the Crucible. I would appreciate your prayers too....You can find out more about the Crucible here.

Here's a poem one of my new facebook friends who has gone before me sent me just a few minutes ago! I thought it was perfect for tonight.

It's the night before the CrucibleAnd it's quiet in your BayAnd as you toss and turn this night... Your Mom begins to pray.A prayer not of completionFor I know you're highly skilledIt's more a prayer of vigilanceThat you're safe upon the field.I'm closer than you think my SonI'll be there with every stepAnd while you dream of finishingIt's your Mom who hasn't slept.Time to wake, it's 3 a.m.Before the rising sunSo square away your gear and getYour ALICE and your gun.The march today will be a featA hundred "KLICKS" it seemsBut you and your PLATOON stay sharpYou're soon-to-be MARINES.Your "WAR BELT" weighs a thousand poundsAs you slog through mud and slimeAnd you know before this trial endsThe "REAPER" you must climb.Your arms will ache from carryingThe injured "UP AND OVER"An obstacle some forty feetYou can do it; you're a soldier.The "MRE'S" are dry as H---Takes canteens to quench the thirstYour stomach feels like it's inside outAnd you think it can't get worse.Four hours sleep in fifty-fourThe slow turning of the wheelBattlegrounds aren't made for wimpsJust Marines of time-forged steel.This is what you've trained forWith sweat and tears and bloodRemember that when you're on your bellyCrawling through the mud.Your bayonet will strike it's markYour shots will all be trueFor now a WARRIOR you've becomeIt's what you've trained to do.Your face is streaked with dirt and gritA mirror is not in sightAnd where your long hair once wasYou sport a "HIGH and TIGHT."A flash of light, a "MOON BEAM"Strikes eerily upon your faceYou wear a mask of tubes and strapsYou're disguised to withstand mace.Rappelling down the sides of cliffsOr moving through the mireYou've been trained by the very bestIt's a test of strength by fire.When you feel you're at the pointWhere completion can't be doneStay true, stay fast, you're almost thereYour race is nearly run.You'll soon join ranks with BrothersThose who have gone beforeIt's not easy but then it never wasTo become "ESPRIT de CORPS."In those last few hours whenYOU know you've survived the worstThink of all the bone-weary timesFor this moment you've rehearsed.You'll wear your necktie two-blockedBlouse creases fore and aftYou walk a little taller nowAll things past are past.Standing on "PARADE DECK"At the end of thirteen weeksYou exemplify strength and courageAs tears run down your cheeks.Take refuge in your confidenceYou've brought honor to your teamYou are now a man, my sonA UNITED STATES MARINE.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Yesterday morning when I woke up this video was waiting for me! It is a video that was posted of My Marine and his plattoon. Apparently they post these for family and friends 2 weeks before graduation! It was a great way to start my Saturday! "My Marine" is on the 2nd row from the top and the 4th man from the left! As one of his friends told me on facebook yesterday, he looks kind of strange with such a serious look on his face, but I don't think Marines are supposed to be full of smiles...doesn't really scare the "ememy" (his word for "enemy" when he was 4 or 5) if they are full of smiles, now does it!

I can't tell you how many times I have looked at his picture since my hubby sent it to my phone! It is now the first thing I see when I pick up my phone! lol

I have missed my son so much over the past 11 1/2 weeks but it is getting closer and I'm beginning to feel like we are both going to make it all the way to graduation!

In just 9 days we will hop aboard a plane and fly to San Diego! We will get to meet Adah! We will do some sight-seeing on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday That Other Kid and I get to go to the San Diego Zoo! Then Thursday afternoon we will get to hang out with My Marine on base for approximately 5 hours! It's gonna be a great 5 hours of non-stop talking by both That Other Kid and me - we have so much to catch up on!

Then Friday morning, December 16th "My Marine" will graduate as a United States Marine! I'm so proud of him and all that he has accomplished over the past few months!

After he graduates and has "liberty" we will go get some food and head to the airport to come home! He gets to be home throughout the entire Christmas holiday and I can hardly believe I get to celebrate Christmas with him and even beyond. From what I understand he will get to be home till at least the 6th of January but it sounds like he may even be home till the 17th! Whooohooo! A whole month!!

I also got to go shopping yesterday afternoon for a few clothes and I found them on SALE!! Whoohooo! Pictures to follow....but I think I got some good stuff for the event of my son's life! Its been a great weekend!!

Friday, December 2, 2011

The Marine Mother's prayer says, "Dear Lord, Give me the greatness of heart to see the difference between a mother's love and duty to country. Give me understanding that I may know, when duty calls them they must go. Give me a task to do each day, to fill my thoughts when they're away. And Lord, when they're in a foreign land, keep them safe in your loving hand. And Lord, when duty is in the field, please protect them and be their shield. And Lord, when deployment is so long, please give me the support to remain strong. Amen."

Two weeks from today I will be a true member of the Marine Mom's sisterhood. My Marine graduates from bootcamp in just 2 weeks! I thought this day would never get here but it is quickly approaching.

Friday's are Red Friday in honor of our military so I am posting this prayer- remember the families if the military when you pray for our soldiers please! We need your support also.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I missed yesterday's Thankful post because by the time I got around to writing my post I was too tired to sit down and do it! So today you get a two-fer!

Yesterday That Other Kid and I ventured out to the mall to visit with Santa, hang out with a good friend and do a bit of shopping! This is something we do EVERY year! It kind of kicks off our Christmas season! Although That Other Kid doesn't believe in Santa he still likes to "talk to Santa", listen to the story he tells and spend time enjoying all the holiday festivities.

Yesterday, after Santa was done talking to That Other Kid and he was about to see his next little ones Santa asked if he knew why we celebrate Christmas. I'm not sure if Santa asks every child this or not but I loved That Other Kid's response - "We celebrate Christmas because it's Jesus' birthday!" That warmed my heart and made me thankful for the privilege of being his mom! Indeed Jesus is the reason for the Season!

And although this picture makes him look like a little alien and some sort of demon child (which sometimes is true!) I love him like nothing else!

Today I am thankful that it is the last day of November!

That may seem strange to most of you, but I am so happy to see December come up on my calendar! December means that I get a mini-vacation because of the generosity of friends! December means "My Marine" comes home from boot camp! December means I get to meet Adah! December means Christmas time and 20 days with "My Marine". December means That Other Kid turns 8! December means 1 year since my friend, Glenna discovered her breast cancer....and now she is 100% cancer free!

December is going to be a great month!

I am also thankful that during the month of November I found plenty of things to be thankful for! Yes, I truly am blessed with family, friends and plenty of other blessings! I'm so glad I took this month to reflect on so many of them!

Happy December! Only 15 days till I see my first born! What a day that will be!

Monday, November 28, 2011

For today's thanks I just want to say I am so thankful for the blessing of friends who are willing to help out in times of trouble! Last night one of my Komen 3 Day friends posted about a friend of her's who had just gotten 5 of her niece's kids, ranging from 2 - 16. Her niece died and they had no one to care for them. They have nothing! They went to pick them up this weekend. Now they have 9 kids to care for (she already has 4 kids of her own)!

Last night after the post went up people all over the city and even out of state said they could help with clothes, beds, bedding, linens! Everything is coming together for this wonderful family!

Today I am thankful for people who are so generous they are willing to help a family who truly needs it!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Today I am thankful for the generosity of That Other Kid! See these toys? These are things he is donating to a family of 5 children whose mother has died. They have nothing but the clothes on their back due to some terrible living arrangements. They are now living with their aunt and things are improving daily! This week will be even better due to the generosity of lots of people in the area!

He told me that it's terrible to not have toys to play with or books to read! I agree....we truly are blessed!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

This is a picture of the call from "My Marine" that I've been waiting nearly 10 weeks for!

I was over at our Team Leader's house this afternoon for our Thanksgiving Potluck just relaxing. I had been told by numerous moms that I should expect a phone call to discuss travel plans for after graduation but I really had no idea when it would come! When I saw this number come across my caller id on my cell phone I nearly peed my pants! I knew it had to be My Marine! So I went out and found a quiet corner and took the call! It was a tiny bit of heaven for this momma! I started crying as soon as I answered the phone and heard his deep voice on the other end!

I knew the call would be short (from what I had been told) so I tried to listen and ask vital questions. It was sooooo wonderful to talk to him. He sounded great! He wants to get the "hxxx" out of there as fast as possible on the 16th so I'm hoping we can all get flights home that afternoon after graduation. He wants to take us to a hockey game while he is home. He wants to relax and enjoy spending time with his family! Sounds perfectly wonderful to me!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Rarely do we put our Christmas tree up this early but December is gonna be a busy month with That Other Kid and I gone for a several days in the middle of the month and "My Marine" coming home so I decided to get the tree up early. It feels great to have that out of the way.

For today, I am thankful for the wonderful Christmas holiday that we are entering! I am also thankful that the tree is decorated so I can enjoy it for the whole month!

I am also extremely thankful that we will all be together this year for Christmas! I know there are many families that can't say the same.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

It's Thanksgiving evening and I'm sitting here typing this post from my IPhone! For this I am thankful cuz I don't want to get out of my comfy chair to go over the 10 feet to my old, slow computer!

We had a pretty laid back Thanksgiving. I prepared a small Thanksgiving meal, ate and watched Cars2 on DVD. The hubs relaxed and played a video game and That Other Kid watched him play and built with legos and talked constantly!

The only thing missing to make this day even better would have been a phone call from My Marine but it didn't happen so I just have to wait 3 more weeks!

I am so thankful that I live in a free country and get to pause and Thank God for all that I have! That's what I have done today. Thank you God for all that I am and all that I have!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Today I am thankful for all my wonderful friends and family that made this Komen 3 Day thermometer full! Not only is it full but it is Overflowing! My goal was $2300 - my total was $2722.61!! Whoohooooo!

Thanks so much for all your donations, prayers and support to make this possible!

I will be signing up for next years 3 Day walk this weekend and I would love to have your support again for next year - or if you are so inclined walk with me! Hint, hint Christy!

Over at the 'hood they want us to stay active all year round -- even through the holiday time! So they are starting a new challenge today 10KaDay! Meaning walk 10,000 steps a day! I know what you are thinking - that that is a lot of steps a day, right?! Well it is but we all need to move our bodies a little more. We all need to push ourselves to do our best! So I'm accepting their challenge and I'm going to push myself to walk 10,000 steps every day, between now and the end of 2011! Did you see that there are only 5 weeks left in this YEAR??? How did that happen?

Anyway...I'm going to move my body and push myself to take 10,000 steps a day! I definitely know I need to do this right now! I've gained weight and gotten lazy over the past couple of weeks....that's gotta change!

In just 22 days I get to see My Marine and I don't want to be looking like a slob when I see my kiddo!

And in just 20 days I get to meet Adah!! Whooohooo! Gotta love the internet!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Today I am thankful for places to take That Other Kid where he can burn excessive amounts of energy! We went to a place today called JumpStreet and he ran around, and bounced around for 2 hours! He even got to ride a "bull"!

What a great metroplex we live in!

For some reason I can't get this video to post on here so go watch it HERE!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Today I am thankful to have access to the public libraries! I went there this afternoon while That Other Kid was in his karate class (3 hours of PE, HELLO!) and found several books on my list of books to read this week and next. I also found a book about the history of Thanksgiving that I thought would be fun to read on Thanksgiving morning. I am so thankful to have a library that I can use as much as I want to! The area libraries enhance our school studies sooooo much!

Now...onto something fun that I found from one of my new Marine mom friends on Facebook! Enjoy!

MARINE CORPS CHRISTMASOn the first day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, a D.I. yelling at me.

... On the second day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the third day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the fourth day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the fifth day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Five M.R.E.'s, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the sixth day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, a Six month deployment, Five M.R.E.'s, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the seventh day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Seven seas to sail, a Six month deployment, Five M.R.E.'s, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the eighth day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Eight brand new rifles, Seven seas to sail, a Six month deployment, Five M.R.E.'s, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the ninth day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Nine ladies dancing, Eight brand new rifles, Seven seas to sail, a Six month deployment, Five M.R.E.'s, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the tenth day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, the Tenth of November, Nine ladies dancing, Eight brand new rifles, Seven seas to sail, a Six month deployment, Five M.R.E.'s, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Eleven general orders, the Tenth of November, Nine ladies dancing, Eight brand new rifles, Seven seas to sail, a Six month deployment, Five M.R.E.'s, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, the Marine Corps sent to me, Twelve months of training, Eleven general orders, the Tenth of November, Nine ladies dancing, Eight brand new rifles, Seven seas to sail, a Six month deployment, Five M.R.E.'s, Four days of "Libo", Three months of bootcamp, Two yellow footprints, And a D.I. yelling at me!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Today I am thankful for something most of take for granted these days! The convenience of the Internet and all that we have at our finger tips because of it!

My life has changed dramatically because of the Internet - mostly in a good way! I have a lot more friends; and everyone knows how important friends are, right? I have information available to me within seconds (usually!) I play games via the Internet. I get school resources via the Internet. I watch movies, read books and type blog entries all via the Internet! I often exercise via the Internet - and the 'hood is my biggest source of support for losing weight!

So today I am thankful for the Internet and all the wonderful things I have today because of it!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Before beginning the training for the Komen 3 Day for the Cure hubby and I were watching movies rented from Netflix nearly every weekend. Once I started the training we were trying to do our "date night" on Sunday nights but by the time 10 p.m. came around I was ready to go to sleep. For a few weeks we just watched a short "tv" show off Netflix Instant. But before you know it we weren't watching anything together....No more date nights! boo!

Now that the 3 Day is done for the season I wanted to start back to our Saturday night date night, so tonight we watched "Date Night"! I thought it was appropriate to start the ball rolling for our "at home dates". It was a pretty funny movie and it was nice to spend time with the hubby!

So for today I am thankful for Netflix, and "at home date nights" with the hubby! We get to watch a movie in the comfort of our home, with That Other Kid in bed and eat theater food that doesn't costs us $30!!

Do you have any movie suggestions? We tend to lean toward comedy and romance....

Friday, November 18, 2011

In honor of my son who will graduate Marine bootcamp I am posting this prayer for him and all the other recruits graduating in 28 days!!

Father, in the coming days I will need You, but my recruit will need You more.

Let him perform his tasks with a sense of duty, not of anger or vengeance.

Let his reflexes be quick and his hands steady.Let his head be clear and his eyes sharp.Let his mind and body be strong and his spirit stronger.

Christ, please stand by my recruit and watch his back when he cannot.

Father, I love this recruit of mine! Take from ME, what he needs and give me what he does not.I will pace the nights, if it means he gets some sleep.I will deal with fatigue, if it means he will have energy.I will carry his fear if it means it gives him courage.I will take his pain, if it means he is healthy and whole.I will take his anger, if it means he is at peace.

Take from me my love and pride and let him feel it! Let him know that I am with him every step of the way.

Please, take from me what You can; I give it willingly and with love.It is all that I have besides my prayers.

Above all, please help my recruit achieve his goal of becoming a United States Marine. This I ask on bended knee, that which I cannot do without You.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

I sent out a plea last night for plane tickets to go see "My Marine". I am pleased to tell y'all that I have the best friends EVER!! I now have a plan for our trip to San Diego! That Other Kid and I get to go see "My Marine" at the biggest event of his life! I also get to have a bit of fun and go see Adah and the San Diego Zoo! It's gonna be a great December!!

I am soooo thankful to God for blessing me in this way! I was so disappointed that I was possibly going to have to miss this graduation. Now plans are in the making!! Whooohooo!

I am sooooooo thankful for my friends who have helped me! Thanks sooooo much for blessing me!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

In just 30 days, December 16th "My Marine" will be graduating from Marine bootcamp in San Diego, Camp Pendleton, CA. It is one of those events in life that can never be duplicated. We want to go celebrate this wonderful accomplishment in his life. We want to support him and cheer him on. That Other Kid and I are looking forward to attending the graduation celebration. We want to attend BUT plane tickets are so expensive right now from Dallas to San Diego.

Here's my request -- does anyone have "buddy passes" or "miles" that we can use? We need 2 plane tickets, round trip from Dallas to San Diego sometime in the area of December 14 - December 16/17th. We are flexible with travel times but definitely need to be there on December 15th and 16th.

I know this is a big request but I desperately want to celebrate this accomplishment in My Marine's life!!

Today I am thankful that it is November 16th! That means in just 1 month "My Marine" will graduate from boot camp! Sometimes it seems like just yesterday he left and other times it seems like he has been gone FOREVER!! It was one year ago Thanksgiving he told us that he was "done" with college and was going to join the Marines. I will never forget that shock! And here we are almost a year later and he is nearly done with the most rewarding, challenging thing he has ever done....BOOT CAMP!

Today is also Wednesday which means it is weigh in day at Shrinking Jeans. It is the final day of Shrinkvivor and although I was sent to Exile Island a few weeks I still need to weigh in.

My starting weight for this challenge: 200.8Today's weight: 202.6

So...instead of losing weight this challenge I gained. I'm upset with myself but I know that during distance training it is difficult to lose weight and I definitely was training and walking long distances!! I am now done with that training for a while and now I've got to find my fitness/weight loss/healthy living mojo back! This week I have improved but haven't exercised much still. I went for a 30 minute walk with a friend and That Other Kid yesterday and that was really the first time I have done anything since the 3 Day. That must change!!

I changed the way I am approaching school, chores and many other things around here this week and now it is time to start meal planning, exercising etc to make better use of my time! If you have suggestions on "organizing" my life I am open to them! I need some structure so I can accomplish all that needs to be done!

Ok...so there's a new challenge coming up at the 'hood next week and I'm planning to make that one shine for me! Are you in???

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Today I am thankful for the opportunity to be flexible with the new schedule I created for That Other Kid in our homeschooling journey. He decided he wanted to do spelling today even though it wasn't on our schedule! Because we have the freedom to create our own schedule I was able to forego history today and we did spelling instead! I love that he wanted to do spelling - All About Spelling is a great program!

I am also thankful for my friends who told me about All About Spelling! I had never heard of this program; even though I have been homeschooling FOREVER!! Whooohooo for friends who try new programs and aren't afraid to recommend them even to a veteran homeschooler!

Monday, November 14, 2011

6 months ago I didn't know a single one of these wonderful Angels! Today I call them my friends and I am truly thankful that I can! Without these wonderful men and women (some of which have fought the breast cancer fight) I would never have had the opportunity to say, "I just finished walking 60 miles in 3 Days!"

I will never forget them and I can hardly wait to start training walks again for next year's 3 Day!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

This past weekend I walked the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure. I can honestly say it ranks as one of best 5 things I have ever done! This was truly an experience that made me feel like I was more than a wife and mother. It gave me a purpose other than preparing meals, doing laundry and teaching That Other Kid (all worthwhile for our family but very mundane!)

This is Glenna...the reason I decided this was the year to "put your words into action" and walk the 3 Day for the Cure that I have been wanting to do for years! My grandmother died of breast cancer more than 10 years ago and I had always thought I wanted to do something grand like the 3 Day but once Glenna got breast cancer I knew it had to happen now!! She came down to join me for lunch on Saturday - the roughest day of the weekend for me! I'm so blessed to have her in my life and I'm so glad she didn't let cancer beat her!

As a wife and mother I usually devote my attention to caring for my family. Rarely do I do something just because I want to make a difference in someone else's life, but this weekend that's what I did. Rarely do I do something purely for me. This weekend I did. Rarely do I do something that I have such a strong commitment to that I feel good about when I'm done. This weekend I did.

Like most Americans I usually don't follow through on things that I start doing. This weekend I followed through on the commitment that I made in July to walk the Komen 3 Day. Not only did I train for this event, but I raised more than $2300 to help find a cure for breast cancer. Then I followed up by walking 60 miles in 3 days!

Now that the Komen 3 Day is over for the year, I'm experiencing many emotions that I wasn't prepared for. I was so exhilarated while I was walking. I felt on top of the world; like I could do anything I set my mind (and feet to). I felt as if I couldn't be stopped.

I saw so many people this weekend with the same goal in mind - finding a cure for breast cancer. I walked with a woman on my team who was diagnosed with breast cancer last October and has gone through chemo, radiation, surgery, etc ALL while training TO WALK THE 3 DAY! She walked all 60 miles and was smiling, laughing and SERVING several other women on my team along the way!

Definitely applies here!

The lady on the far left is Yvette! She's one of my heros..the lady on my team I just mentioned!

All along the route people came out to cheer us on throughout our 60 miles. Many of these people spent the whole weekend following our route and setting up cheering stations and supporting us. Many of these people have a very personal reason for supporting us.

In case you can't tell the top of her head says thank you! This one brought me to instant tears!

Some just wanted to say thank you for making a difference.

There were times when I cried because there were so many people at a cheering station. There were times when we were walking that I was so physically and mentally exhausted I cried. There were times when I was in pain and wanted to cry, but I knew the discomfort I was in was NOTHING compared to the pain of breast cancer and all that goes with it. There were a few times I thought I could go on forever and there were times I didn't think I could take another step!

There were times when the signs I saw posted along the route kept me going - "It's kind of fun to do the impossible" really spoke to me!

I managed to walk all 60 miles and was encouraged to keep going by my wonderful friends who sent tweets, emails, letters and texts throughout the weekend.

Through this experience I have gained more than I could have ever imagined possible. I have gained lifetime friendships and a feeling of "I can do anything"! and I'm already planning to do it again next year!

The entire weekend was an experience I will never forget and I owe a huge thank you to many of my friends who donated money to help me raise the $2300 necessary to walk this event. Without your financial support and constant motivation I would not have been able to do this.

Now that the walk for this year is over I am going to apply what I have learned to my weight loss journey. If I can train in the heat of summer and get up at 4 a.m. on the weekends to do so, raise money, and walk 60 miles in 3 days I can do what most people consider the impossible - lose 40 or 50 more pounds! I have learned that I can do anything I set out to do! All I have to do is put my whole self into it! And I intend to do just that - the impossible really is possible when you want it bad enough!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Today I am thankful for the privilege of homeschooling! I spent time this afternoon working on some lesson plans which for some strange reason excited me and made me think of how thankful I am for this opportunity.

I was also at the library gathering books for the next couple of weeks. I found this to be both exciting and frustrating! There are so many great books I want to read with That Other Kid but I just don't have the time to do it all. Our library has a decent number of classics and books off my list but there were some they didn't have! Ugh! That means I forgo reading those or I look elsewhere!

While I was working on the lesson plans and looking over my stack of books I realized how blessed I am to have a husband who works so much so I don't have to. I would hate to miss this opportunity to homeschool That Other Kid!

Friday, November 11, 2011

I grew up in a family with many veterans - my Dad, my uncles, my grandfather...all served in our military and fought for our freedoms! I have cousins that served as well! My brother also joined the Marines while he was in his early 20's and when I received the phone call saying he was joining the Marines I freaked out thinking it was the worst decision of his life I now openly say it was the best thing he has ever done!

Sooooo why was I surprised when my oldest son came home last Thanksgiving and announced he was joining the Marines? I don't know but now I realize it should have been one of those 'duh' moments! In just 5 weeks my son will graduate from Marine bootcamp and I couldn't be prouder to add just one more member of my family to my military family!

So THANK YOU VETERANS FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY AND BEING A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE TO MEN AND WOMEN OF TODAY WHO DESIRE TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY!

About Me

Wife to dh for 27 years, mom to "My Marine" -- my 21 year old son who is now a Marine, and "that other kid" -- my 8 year old son that I am homeschooling.
I love to read and I am working hard to get my figure back after letting it go for 20+ years!
I love to make new friends so feel free to comment and become my friend!
Email me at anngregory@sbcglobal.net